There is nothing better than getting a call from a stranger that says, “I got your name from our neighbor…”. Referrals, it’s the foundation of a good business. If you are doing great work with excellent customer service, the new business will keep coming.
Before
The Process
After meeting, I quickly saw, this bathroom needed the following:
- more storage
- better flow
- make better use of the unused tub and surround area
- create privacy for “doing your duty”!
I went home with the room measurements and started with a blank floor plan. How were we going to achieve all these things? Well, first plan was to get rid of the walls that were only making the room feel more cramped. The next thing was to move that toilet and tuck it back where the bathtub was to give the user a little more privacy when “using the facilities”. I didn’t want to close off that whole corner because then we would lose the use of the window but I definitely wanted it facing away from the entrance to the bathroom to create some privacy in an open floorplan.
Lastly, to give them more storage, I wanted to make the vanity as long as possible, giving each of them a tower of drawers to themselves then a tower in the middle to share. As well, we had the room to put a freestanding linen closet by the toilet. We kept the depth approx. 12″ which is the perfect size to store towels, and organized bins of medicine, extra toilet paper and other bathroom necessities.
After
Just a little different, yes? Keep scrolling to see and read up on all the details!
Shower Tile
Once the design layout was finalized, can you guess where I headed with my client? If you guessed Contract Furnishings Mart (CFM), you are correct! The client had sent me some inspiration photos of bathrooms that had the aesthetics she was looking for: calm, zen, spa-like retreat. Modern lines with a peacefulness. We immediately gravitated to this wave-like tile by Surface Art, Emma in the Matte White ripple. I wanted just the back wall to have the accent and the rest of the space had the traditional smooth Emma tile also in the White Matte.
Floor Tile
One decision that was already made for us was the floor tile. The homeowners redid their first floor bathroom last year and bought enough tile to do the upstairs bathroom too. The Daltile-Linden Point 12×24 worked nicely to add a warmth to the space. We repeated that same tile in the 2×2 mosaic in the shower floor to continue the color. By having the material inside the shower match the material outside of the shower creates a continuous flow all the way through the room is another trick to making the room feel as big as possible.
Hardware
Also present in our inspiration spaces, as well as throughout the homeowner’s house is the presence of black as an accent. We wanted some contrast to the white and tan finishes we had chosen. To do this, we chose a black showerhead, 2 faucets and even the knobs on the cabinetry are a matte black.
Countertops
Once we choose the tile, we then started sorting thru all the slab samples at CFM. We fell in love with the warm white countertop with soft gray veining of Caesarstone’s Calacatta Nuvo. Of course it was only available in full slabs and we didn’t need a full slab.
To save money, try to find a half slab or a remnant when you don’t need a full slab for your project.
As an alternative, I was able to find a remnant of EleMar’s EleQuence Mystic White which is also a warm white with a little darker veining. The positive: it was also available in the 2cm so we could have a 4″ backsplash also fabricated! And our fabricator did an excellent job at blending the veining from the counter into the backsplash. I love details like that.
Along with the counters, we also had the bench fabricated out of the 3cm Mystic White and then the 2cm Mystic White for the curb of the shower. I couldn’t be more pleased with this detail as well. It provides a perfectly smooth surface for the shower glass to be affixed and will be so easy to clean.
Those Mirrors & Lights
To make a small space feel more open, reflection is always ideal. We had installed these these clean, slightly modern tall mirrors in another client’s home and I knew they would work perfectly in this bathroom as well! With their subtle black frames and their extended height, it really draws your eyes up in this somewhat narrow galley-like bathroom.
For the lights, I knew I wanted to install something at “face” height. Do you have lights that hang above the mirror in your bathroom? Me too! And it creates dark shadows under my eyes, under my nose and chin. It is not flattering. In a bathroom, the best lighting for seeing your face is when the light source is directly in front of your face. (So simple, right?!) These cool sconces we found at Lamps Plus were wired to a dimmer so now they can create ambiance OR shine bright for that extra grooming.
Cabinets
Every time I work with my cabinet maker, I am never disappointed. Based on the sketches I created, he was able to bring the 2d drawing to life! I wanted to get the longest possible vanity in this space, with the 3 drawer towers along with 2 under sink cabinets. The final results are a vanity that looks clean and classic yet a bit modern with the dark finish and simple knobs. As well, the balance and symmetry of the linen closet looks beautiful and functions magically, with all those natural alder shelves inside.
A Gift
Truly, helping people design a room, seeing it go from an outline to an actual space where you can walk into, filled with the finishes you imagined, the colors you chose, and adding the warmth of accessories to make it function is truly a gift, not only to my clients but to myself.
Tis Done!
After styling this bathroom, I truly didn’t want to leave! I wanted to pop open some champagne, and fully soak up the space. I didn’t necessarily want to be the first person to take a shower in there (yah…I may have bumped the water handle with my back while taking pictures! LOL!). It’s the truly relaxing space we envisioned from day one and now I get to pass it off to my clients to enjoy for forever! (or until they decide to move 😉 ).
What do you think? Could you spend some time in this space?
xo, Melis
Melissa K Manos Designs 